Description

Copyright 2002

Dimensions: 7" x 9"

Pages: 440

Edition: 1st

Book

ISBN-10: 0-201-74884-3

ISBN-13: 978-0-201-74884-0

Named after the Monty Python comedy troupe, Python is an interpreted, open-source, object-oriented programming language. It's also free and runs portably on Windows, Mac OS, Unix, and other operating systems. Python can be used for all manner of programming tasks, from CGI scripts to full-fledged applications. It is gaining popularity among programmers in part because it is easier to read (and hence, debug) than most other programming languages, and it's generally simpler to install, learn, and use. Its line structure forces consistent indentation. Its syntax and semantics make it suitable for simple scripts and large programs. Its flexible data structures and dynamic typing allow you to get a lot done in a few lines. To learn it, you'll need is some basic programming experience and a copy of Python: Visual QuickStart Guide.

In patented Visual QuickStart Guide fashion, the book doesn't just tell you how to use Python to develop applications, it shows you, breaking Python into easy-to-digest, step-by-step tasks and providing example code. Python: Visual QuickStart Guide emphasizes the core language and libraries, which are the building blocks for programs. Author Chris Fehily starts with the basics - expressions, statements, numbers, strings - then moves on to lists, dictionaries, functions, and modules before wrapping things up with straightforward discussions of exceptions and classes. Some additional topics covered include:- Object-oriented programming- Working in multiple operating systems- Structuring large programs- Comparing Python to C, Perl, and Java- Handling errors gracefully.

Understanding the Types of Numbers. Understanding Promotion. Performing Basic Arithmetic. Raising a Number to a Power. Getting the Remainder of a Division. Getting the Quotient of a Division. Controlling Calculation Order. Making Augmented Assignments. Converting Among Number Types. Comparing Numbers. Using Mathematical Functions. Using Advanced Mathematical Functions. Generating Random Numbers.

4. Working with Strings.

Creating a String. Inserting Special Characters into a String. Creating a Unicode String. Finding the Length of a String. Indexing a String (Extracting a Character). Slicing a String (Extracting a Substring). Concatenating Strings. Repeating a String. Using String Methods and Functions. Changing String Case. Testing a String. Trimming and Justifying a String. Searching for Substrings. Replacing Substrings. Translating a String. Splitting and Joining Strings. Performing List Operations on a String. Converting a String. Comparing Strings. Printing Formatted Strings.

Using Dictionary Operators and Methods. Creating a Dictionary. Printing a Dictionary. Getting a Value by Using a Key. Getting All of a Dictionary's Values. Getting All of a Dictionary's Keys. Getting All of a Dictionary's Key-Value Pairs. Determining Whether a Key Exists. Counting a Dictionary's Key-Value Pairs. Adding or Replacing a Key-Value Pair. Removing a Key-Value Pair. Removing a Random Key-Value Pair. Clearing or Deleting a Dictionary. Combining Dictionaries. Copying a Dictionary. Converting a Dictionary 2. Comparing Dictionaries. Sorting a Dictionary. Storing Computed Values in a Dictionary.

7. Control Flow Statements.

Splitting Statements Across Lines. Creating Compound Statements. Using pass to Create a Null Statement. Indenting Blocks of Statements. Putting Multiple Statements on a Line. Using if Conditionals. Using if-else Conditionals. Using if-elif-else Conditionals. Using while Loops. Using while-else Loops. Using for Loops. Using for-else Loops. Looping over a Range of Integers. Skipping Part of a Loop Iteration. Exiting a Loop.

8. Functions.

Defining a Function. Documenting a Function. Calling a Function. Returning a Value from a Function. Returning Multiple Values from a Function. Specifying Positional Arguments. Specifying Default Parameter Values. Specifying Keyword Arguments. Specifying an Arbitrary Number of Positional Arguments. Specifying an Arbitrary Number of Keyword Arguments. Combining Argument-Passing Techniques. Creating Recursive Functions. Passing Mutable and Immutable Arguments to Functions. Declaring Global Variables. Assigning a Function to a Variable. Using Functional Programming Tools. Using lambda Expressions to Create Functions. Using apply to Call a Function. Using map to Apply a Function to Sequence Items. Using zip to Group Sequence Items. Using filter to Remove Sequence Items Conditionally. Using reduce to Reduce a Sequence. Using List Comprehensions to Create Lists.